Dovre Club
1498 Valencia St
(between 25th St & 26th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 285-4169
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 2:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: Juke Box
- Best Nights: Mon, Thu, Sun
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
153 reviews
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
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46 Reviews for Dovre Club
my neighborhood's bar. well, even, my city mission block's bar. lots of regulars, and a true dive family feel. good jukebox. cheap drinks. pool table. friendly low-key people. i like.
the owner, elvis, is a very smart & amiable guy. and he hires real good & loyal peeps. he loves dogs, and allows them in the bar (to my pleasure), though knows to keep a troublesome one out...
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The Dovre is the greatest kind of dive bar: one with regulars, a great jukebox, and a truly great bartender, Elvis. I've been heading to the Dovre for eight or more years now, and it's like a second home at this point.
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Prior to penning this masterpiece, I felt it necessary to do my research..I needed to understand exactly what made a drinking establishment a "DIVE"..Of course, I opted to make use of the user-generated tome that is WiKi, a.k.a. wikipedia.com ...I typed in "Dive" and this is what I got..
"A dive bar, or simply a dive, is a downmarket drinking establishment serving a working class (or poorer) clientele."*
Since I wasn't too certain as to what they were implying when they mentioned "downmarket", I looked that up on Wiki, as well...This is what I was told..
"Downmarket products are goods targeted at lower-income consumers."*
Nice to know that someone has come up with such a term to refer to the items offered to us that are this/close to being hobo's..
I DIGRESS..
WiKi also mentions that the term Dive dates back to 19th Century London when groups of young men opted to make their own pubs to suit their own needs..A place of respite far from their father's clubs. One where they would smoke and drink coffee to their hearts content! ::::GASPS::: !
Of course, someone penned in Wikipedia the ever present "Hipster" in these so-called "Dives" in the US..
So..Dovre would be considered a dive for the following reasons:
+ Catering to the low-income set
+ Although, you're unable to smoke..step just beyond the doors leading in and you're sure to fill your lungs with Cancer inducing carcinogens
+ Coffee? Maybe, but they do offer a large selection of brews and other libations.
+ Dirty mother effin' toilets..and they made no effort it seemed to make you think otherwise..
+ The ever present bass-inflected voice of Johnny Cash filling the air from the digital Juke Box.
+ Pin ball machine..Cause we all know how much a "hipster" loves to make an ass of themselves in public..(Read; SARCASM)
I had a good time..I think..I plunked in some quarters in the ole' jukebox. Found the gayest songs to be had; Madonna and Cher!!..and played a few lackluster games of Pinball..(Note to owners..A few strategically placed pin lights might help around the Pinball machine)
*= All information from www.wikipedia.com
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Filthy shithole. Why do I say this? I was walking my dog on the sidewalk in front of this place in the middle of the afternoon one Sunday when out came a pitbull, off leash. After being assured by the dog's owner, who was standing in the door of the bar, that the dog was friendly, we continued walking by. You can imagine what happened next. The dog latched onto my dog's neck, and after several attempts (and numerous bloody holes in my dog's neck) later, my friend (who was out walking with me) was able to get him to release. Luckily he was there, or my dog would have been dead. Well, after the owner refused to give us information about the dog's shot record or anything else for that matter (and basically refused to take responsibility - my friend's pants were ripped up and he had scratches as well), we called the police. Why is the bar responsible? Because the guy went back inside with his dog, while we waited outside for the police to arrive. When the officer went in to search the place, the lovely bartender feigned ignorance and had apparently let the guy and the dog go out the back door. All of this while we stood outside, with bloody clothes and a bloody, injured dog. Filthy (illegal) shithole. Need I say more?
Ah, the Dovre Club. I remember when they got kicked out of the Women's Building on 18th St...ol' Paddy Nolan would be rolling in his grave. (And by "remember", I mean read it in the newspaper article framed on the wall here. Now that would have been one cool spot for a pub). They're also known to throw a St Patrick's party so hot it just about burns the block down (now that I *was* around to see--and a mighty big cloud o' smoke it was...)
Most of the time, though, Dovre Club is just an unassuming, rather shabby Irish Pub that the hipsters haven't yet seen fit to colonize. Despite the authenticity, it's not that full of Irish either--at happy hour it was just a bunch of locals enjoying their cheap drinks and chatting it up with the bartender lady. I'll definitely be back to toast the final defeat of the British (and of my ancestors, the Ulster Scots) in Northern Ireland...I'm sure Paddy would want drinks to be on the house, ya?
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You know it's a great dive bar when there are consistently 2-3 people hanging out front at every hour of the day...
I like to go here after band rehearsal to mercilessly shout at my guitarist's friends for a few hours. Elvis has suffered and enabled this without complaint, for which i think I owe him something. Like 6 stars. But that's impossible. Bummer.
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dude working there tonight, you were cute!!!thanks for the matches
need more places to sit though :/
1 Previous Review:
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06/05/2008
getting drunk here works.and works well
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I always assumed this place was an Italian social club, because "Dovre" means "where." I dunno, you get the picture. So one day my roommate and his friend invite me to a place pronounced "the Dover Club" and our conversation goes something like this:
"Where's that"
"Just on the corner, right there."
"Oh. You must mean DOVRE"
"Um, no, it's pronounced Dover"
"No, it's Italian, right, isn't it DOVRE"?
"Um. No. It's Irish. Look."
And I see evidence of this being an Irish pub all over the outside, such as a clover-shaped neon Budweiser sign.
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OK, so I said I'd write again after I've been here a few times. The bartenders are really friendly, the beer is reasonably priced, and the pool table costs 50 cents. Bonus half-star for the night I came in when a pair of dogs kept sitting on the bar stools. This place is my official neighborhood bar.
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WORST
BARTENDER
EVER.
Not to be confused with some other bartenders who work there and are apparently cool, this chick was a bitch. 30ish, short brown hair, hopped up on coke or something, low evil cackling smokers laugh.
You know how sometimes a bartender or waiter will ask you what you want, and you're not quite ready yet, or your friend hasn't shown up yet and you're just buying time, and you respond that you'd like another minute - then they proceed to be a rude prick or ignore you for the duration of your stay because you were not ready when THEY were? Well that's what happened.
And let it be know, I was totally polite. I am not one of these "treat service workers like crap" people that Yelpers love to hate on. I'm a southern gentleman and try to be nice to everyone.
Anyway - after my friend arrived we sat at the bar TOTALLY IGNORED for a good 10-15 minutes, the bartender didn't even GLANCE at us while we sat there. It wasn't very busy either, everyone else had a drink. She proceeded to talk to patrons, hug patrons, make a second round of martini's for the couple sitting across from us, bitch about how they were out of martini glasses, then went in the back and WARMED UP HER DINNER IN THE MICROWAVE!
WTF!
Still being ignored, finally she bent down under the bar where we were sitting and I said "Hi" really loudly to which she quickly responded "hi". Then she finished what she was doing and said "oh sorry" and finally made our drinks.
My friend frequents this place and said she hadn't seen this bartender before, so I guess we just had bad luck.
The rest of the bar is actually ok. Mixed crowd of Irish construction guys, older people, and a few Mission hipsters. 20 oz Guinness for $4.50. Reminds me a lot of The Ivy Room in the east bay, minus the music stage.
But this is part of what Yelp is for... real reviews reporting the bad apples even if they work at good places. Don't think you can get away with attitude and bad service in SF and it won't show up here for someone to read it.
UPDATE 2008 - I went back on a date. The bad bartender was there, but just done with her shift and heading out the door. A much nicer bartender (with long dyed braids) took over and was very sweet and flirty.
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Dovre Club feels like home. I look over and have to doubletake - is that my uncle Rob? Is that my old neighbor Margery? No, but they could be. This is not the upscale faux Irish pub, but the real thing, and I believe it was popular with the Irish crowd way back when, when the Mission was packed with big Irish families.
When I am homesick, I visit Dovre. I have a Guinness. Then I call my mum.
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This is an ok bar with a great jukebox. The prices are cheap and the pool table is nice. I used to come here to shoot a game of pool, play some good tunes and drink some cold beer. Sometimes the regulars could get a little territorial, but thats kind of expected in a dive. Not my favorite place, but it is bearable at times.
A good sized neighborhood dive bar with beer, liquor and pool.
Our housewarming party got foiled by noise complaints from the old ladies upstairs. We managed to successfully funnel 40+ of our drunk friends over to the Dovre Club. It was a freakin' blast! I attribute the fun more to the company than to the bar itself, but THANK YOU Dovre Club for providing the perfect escape from our crotchety old upstairs neighbors.
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This place was a splendid find! After a decent dining experience across the street at Toad's, a co-worker and I walked over to Dovre and discovered heaven in bar-form.
The bar is unique. It's a REAL Irish bar...not a touristy clover-stuffed joint.
There are comfy couches in a side room surrounding a classic pool-table, with crazy-unique art on the walls. The bar itself is neat as it is divided by the two rooms with a window in the middle so the barkeep can serve both sides.
The beer selection is decent, the prices reasonable. The ATM fee is $2.
I'll be back.
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Superb jukebox, chill and neighborhoody. Would be 4 stars if they'd re-invest some of the profit off those $5 pints. A dive would have cheaper beer; a "good" bar would have a cleaner bathroom. Dovre, please decide.
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Solid bar that wraps around into another smallish room. Cool dark-wood paneling. Went in on a Sunday afternoon and there was a good-sized group of friends watching football. Made it very homey.
I ordered a Crown and 7 and the bartender told me they didn't have Crown. I'm not sure if she meant they were out, or that they didn't carry it. She gave me a 7 and 7 instead. NOT THE SAME...but I made it work.
ATM on site.
I'm not sure why, but I like this bar. The crowd is pretty diverse, meaning that it's a neighborhood bar that you don't have to get all dressed up for or worry about fitting in. There's not a scene, just people enjoying a few cocktails.
The few times I've been there, the bar staff was friendly. I'd rather go here on a Saturday night then anywhere else.
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Cheap drinks, friendly bartenders and a chill atmosphere. It's small but cozy and I love any bar that allows dogs.
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I adore this place and call it my neighborhood bar despite the fact that I live in the Haight. I've been kind of reluctant to review this place, since I'm selfish and want to keep this bar to myself and the rest of the cronies that frequent the place. Everyone there that I love, which are about twenty people, have always made a night there a good night. Many of which I can't really remember.
I even met my husband there. Who ever said you can't meet Prince Charming in a dive bar?.
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Classic Irish Bar with a strong local neighborhood contingent even during the weekends. The second room that houses a pool table appears to be an expansion of the bar, and the place is comfortably roomy. The attraction is by far the staff and beer. The music is really just background noise and not the sole attraction like other Mission dive bars (i.e. Casa Nova or Beauty Bar on the weekends). If I lived in the neighborhood, I would encourage people to meet me here to decompress after a day of hard work.
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I don't drink much and seldom drink beer, so Corey and Elvis hooked me up with pear cider, much like one will give a child a Shirley Temple so they feel special. I felt special and if a non-beer-drinker can feel special at an Irish pub, well, that's saying something...
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i've been coming here for 9+ years and finally decided to write a review. go for the non-ambiance, the darkness, the slouchy couches, the cheap drinks, the pool table, the jukebox, the after work regulars (older irish gents), the late night regulars (non-hipster hipsters), the weekenders (oh never mind), handsome, brave and strapping owners/brothers Elvis and Brian, their lovely, talented and friendly S.O.s Julie and Meagan, and all the assorted bartenders that know your name, know your drink, and know your game. Also, there is usually a dog or two. You can't go for the indoor smoking anymore, alas, (and by "alas" i mean "FUCK"), but it's still a nice cozy dive bar with personality and without attitude. ok, there's an occasional brawl, but after all, it's still the Mission. what's a little blood on the sidewalk? it helps wash away the puke.
and on the way home, with only a slight detour onto Mission, you can grab a bacon-wrapped hot dog. heaven.
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I've heard the Dovre referred to as 'a second livingroom' and I agree. Whole-heartedly. :)
Maybe it's because my friend bar tends there and maybe it's because now I feel like I can go there any time and be treated like a regular (hmm, perhaps that's a bad thing). But, I think what I really like about that Dovre is that if I don't feel like being at home (alone) and all the usual suspect friends are busy, I can hit the Dovre and feel like one of the family.
That's a nice feeling. A "5 star" feeling.
There's always someone who likes to chat sitting at the bar and they have plenty of Bowie goodies on the jukebox.
If Dee is working (can't miss her bright red hair), I recommend getting a dirty martini. She makes the best!
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When I was in high school, my friend and I would drive up to this bar with his dad to look for one of their relatives when he had gone on a bender and not shown up for work at the family's contracting business in a few days. I think those early experiences really shaped my opinion of this place, because I stil think of it as a real drinker's bar. Thestiff drinks, the fact that you can smoke here and Ryan Adam's first album on the jukebox all support this notion. I think this bar also serves a secondary purpose as a place for women in their mid thirties who are starting to lose their looks to find underage Irish construction workers with permanent hard ons to have bad drunken sex with sometime after three A.M.
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WTF! As a smoker, I always knew when I went to the Dovre, I knew that when I wanted to light up a Camel, I didn't have to step outside. I went last night, and much to my dismay, Found out you can't smoke inside anymore. After talking to the bartender, I found out that they had receive some 300 citations for smoking inside. After further inquiry, I was told the bulk of them was on Saturday night(Amateur Night) People who don't frequent this homey dive bar were complaining about the regulars having a cigarette while enjoying their drink. That's lame!! If you don't like the smoke leave, don't narc out a place you'll probably never return to. It's is still one of my favorite spots, but it's lost some of its charm. If the smoke offends you go back to the marina and stop slumming in the mission.
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Exactly what you'd expect from a neighborhood Irish bar. Smallish, yet comfortable. Not overdone in that "look how Irish we are! It's like you're in Ireland, we're so Irish! Do you think we could put more Irish stuff somewhere to make it feel more Irish?" sort of way you find at far too many "Irish" bars in SF. No - at Dovre, it's subtle in a way that makes you believe it. Good basic beer-on-tap selection, plenty of nice warm wood in the walls and over the central bar, a pinball machine, and a pool table on the far side.
Dovre is a place to relax with friends, especially if you live just down the street, enjoy a pint or three, and chill. It's not raucous, and it'd feel wrong if it were. It's comfortable.
And to those calling it a dive - I respectfully disagree. El Rio is a dive. Dovre is your best friend's place, and he serves booze.
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It's a Sunday evening. Tummies full off Peruvian food at Mi Lindo's, we stumbled into Dovre. Something about the cute golden lab running in and out of the place seemed like a good omen. They have Big Daddy IPA on tap - that makes my bf happy. I get a vodka-cranberry . . . and ooooh I think my drink was just barely tinted pink. Good value if nothing else! The group of us played some pool, kicked back with our drinks, and had a jolly ol' time. Yeah, it's a good place to have around.
This is a dive, as in, leave your push-up bras, Kate Spades and stilettos at home. My ensemble of choice consisted of slightly stained sweat pants and a hoodie. You don't come here to a lure a potential mate, you come here to drink.
That said, this is a great place for some good tunes via the jukebox and a few games of free pool. Oddly, for being what it is, the beer list is slightly lacking; however, the mixed drinks carry quite a punch.
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Ready for some groping, eyeballing, and acts of strangeness that may/may not hinder your thirst? Dovre is the place for such moments of libation.
During a bar crawl, I snuck in behind several male counterparts and the haggard and strong ambiance of this bar hit me as well as the people there. No need to dress up for this place.....locals and regulars are what make this bar a hot zone. The bartenders (both male that night) were quick with the drink orders and I seriously thought my gin and tonic lacked the tonic. I felt woozy after three sips.
Some odd thing was going on where I could not figure out if the couple was drunk and dancing, or just drunk and moving about in some strange snake-like fashion. Then again, it could have been the shadows wisping about in my somewhat loose stupor.
If it were not for the males around me, I probably would not come here alone, but with a group of friends, this bar rates a 4 stars in my book. I left feeling lighter and definitely with memories from all the people-watching from my little corner.
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One of the finest establishments I've ever been thrown out of for drunkenly rolling around on the bar with some girl who I didn't know.
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I'm a dive bar kind of girl so I was excited to visit the Dovre Club. Unfortunately, I went on an off night - I felt like I was crashing some body else's party. And don't get me started on the obnoxiously drunk gentleman who kept screaming "Woo" every 5 seconds. I'll try this place again on a weeknight.
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Do not come here for a first date, business get together or any some such type of gathering. This place is a full-on BOOZER. Perfect jukebox, pool table, naked photo hunt, smoking, old Irish dudes talking shit, homely Irish girls putting up with it...it has it all!
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I like this place and I like its friendly and interesting bartenders. I also fancy the canine patrons that tend to frequent this comfy bar. Sweet jukebox too. What more can I say?
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The first homey dive I found when I moved here so it has a tender place in my heart. Reminds me of east coast neighborhood joints like in B'more and Southie, where it would be pretty pointless to expect to meet Mr./Ms Right or to network. You go there to drink.
I've only been there on weekdays before 5pm, still pretty quiet, cozy, and dark; essential for afternoon drinking, removes any lingering guilt about skipping outta work early.
Elvis and Brian make STRONG drinks. Be prepared to drink it with no complaints or else they'll call you a pussy. D is an awesome bartender. She's SUPER sweet and makes fantastic shots. Jukebox is ok, the pool is only 50 cents, you can smoke inside, Toad's is across the street and Wild Pepper is a block away.
Awesome place to go with one person or a big group.
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I like it. I like it quite a bit. The bar tneders recognize most anyone from the area. Most of the loudmouths are harmless and the drinks are average price.
There is $2 tecate all day everyday. With a little luck a bartender will buy you a drink after your forth round. This is a real bar. Not really a dive, not really anything special.
Considering the only people that laughed at me when I fell flat on my face entering the Dovre were my friends, I'd say this place is OK by me. They make a mean Irish Car Bomb, have a sweet Jukebox, and a candy machine that has little indie punk rock buttons. Woot. Real people, real drinks, and real Irish blokes. What more could you ask for? (Cept maybe a little tidy up in the restrooms, please...)
I don't utilize this spot enough, considering it's proximity to my place. Old habits die hard I guess. Nice prices and a pool table make it worth stopping by. Besides who wouldn't want to buy a drink from a real Irishman named Elvis.
Good dive bar, close to my house. The jukebox is a bit lacking (I spent a good 5minutes trying to find 5 songs to play), usually a couple of drunk pool players hanging around, waiting to whup all comers at the table.
A bar, a large, rather Irish bar --- yet it is inifinately better than Cloony's. One could describe it as an Ur bar, elemental in its barness.
The Dovre has many bar activities: A nice (currently Twilight Zone) pinball machine, A solid jukebox (Irish Folk, Supertramp and Elliot Smith), a pool table and the infamous bar touch screen video game system. Also drinks are reasonable and bartenders (frequently the guys that own the place) are skilled and friendly.
There is nothing much kitschy to look at and ever since the pin vending machine got broken nothing remotely hipster to upset those whose feeling are hurt by the phone booth. The clientele is very neighborhood, with the occasional sad shot-drinking group from the funeral home across the street.
Strangely the Dovre is also a long time politics bar, or at least it used to be, I haven't seen many of the SF populist types in here of late though.
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